Genetic make-up behind Ebola survival
31 Oct 2014
Studies in mice could enhance drug and vaccine development by reflecting the diversity of reactions exhibited by those with Ebola, new research suggests.
Researchers in the US have developed a new mouse model that suggests individual genetic make-up plays a significant role in the mild to deadly range of reactions to the Ebola virus.
Currently, the Ebola epidemic, which has spread through much of West Africa, has claimed the lives of nearly 5,000 people and has affected more than 13,500 individuals.
“Our data suggest that genetic factors play a significant role in disease outcome
Lead researcher Michael Katze
However, people exposed to the Ebola virus react in a number of ways, from complete resistance to the disease to bleeding, organ failure and shock.
The US research team has developed a strain of laboratory mice bred to test the role of an individual’s genetic make-up in the course of Ebola disease.
Findings in the study suggest that the laboratory-bred mice all lost weight in the first few days after infection. However, 19% of the mice were unfazed by the disease.
“The frequency of different manifestations of the disease across the lines of these mice screened so far are similar in variety and proportion to the spectrum of clinical disease observed in the 2014 West African outbreak,” said study leader and University of California systems biologists and virologists Angela Rasmussen.
Rasmussen’s research partner Michael Katze, from the Katze Laboratory at the University of Washington, said: “Our data suggest that genetic factors play a significant role in disease outcome.”
“While this is valuable information the data in the paper cannot be directly extrapolated to the human situation
Professor Andrew Easton
Katze admitted, however, that recent Ebola survivors may have had immunity to this or a related virus that saved them during current Ebola epidemic.
Virologists have been quick to point out that data from this study is not surprising as similar observations have been made for several other viruses.
“While this is valuable information the data in the paper cannot be directly extrapolated to the human situation and used as a basis for potential therapy at the moment as, unlike the mice used in the study, humans are extensively outbred and have a large variety of genetic combinations, making assessment of the impact of the genes in humans difficult,” said Andrew Easton, professor of virology at the University of Warwick.
“The paper also does not assess the role of environmental factors that undoubtedly also play a role in the disease process such as the underlying health status of the at-risk population,” Easton said.
However, Easton did suggest that the research provides a positive indication that it may not be necessary to completely eliminate Ebola virus from the body during infection.
“This is heartening as it may suggest that the hurdle that new treatments have to surmount may be lower than initially expected,” Easton said.
